Special Feature: Culinary Travel

Cocoa Kiss Cookies

makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Recipe is reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 bag (9 oz.) Hershey's Kisses Chocolates
Powdered sugar

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Stir together flour and cocoa; add in butter mixture, beating until blended. Add pecans; beat until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces. Mold scant tablespoon of dough around each chocolate piece, covering completely. Shape into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, about 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll in sugar again before serving, if desired.

In 1907 from the other side of the globe, Perugina began as a small confectionery making wedding cakes and sugared almonds. The young heir to Perugina, Giovanni Buitoni, and Luisa Spagnoli, wife of Perugina's co-founder, fell in love. A confectioner in her own right, Luisa created many of Perugina's chocolate delicacies. In 1922, she created Baci, whipped milk chocolate blended with chopped hazelnuts, topped with a whole hazelnut and enrobed in bittersweet chocolate. Because their love was to remain secret, Luisa wrote love notes and wrapped them around the chocolates she sent to Giovanni for his inspection. Today all Baci kisses come wrapped in love notes written in English and Italian. Baci has been the key to Perugina's success throughout the world.

Here is my version of a "kiss" based on my love of chocolate and hazelnuts.

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